The claws of Katrina

Katrina has clawed her mark on Biloxi, Mississippi.

Today, I was driving through Biloxi, near the beach, and as I looked all around at the houses that were no longer livable, as well as the many other signs of Katrina's warpath, the understanding of the forces that caused the damage came to my mind in a very clear and strange way.

I recognized that the two most indispensable, life-giving elements of the earth are also the two most destructible forces--air and water.

Just like parents, these two life-givers have the ability to nurture, feed, and develop, as well as serve as the most destructible influences ever encountered.

Those affected by Katrina live with tormenting memories of pain and loss. Just like the devastated neighborhoods of Biloxi, they will never completely forget the misery that forged its fury in their eyes; its slouch in their shoulders; its scars on their bodies; its trenches in their spirits.

For those who don't have the resources, tools, and support to recover, the damage will never be repaired; much of it will survive as a haunting memory; very little will find its way out of their minds.

Restoration is required, encouragement is essential, and the need for hope is immeasurable for those who have experienced the claws of Katrina.

Grace and peace,
Johnny

Familiarity Breeds Reality

Have you ever spent so much time beating yourself up that you just didn't have time to fight anything else? I've learned that personal punishment is just another form of pride. It is an internal battle brought on by a desire to be something I wish I was, but will never be; it is a selfish retaliation directed at placing myself in a mould of which I was never created to fit. Wouldn't it be great if we really could make everyone like us? Wouldn't it be wonderful if nothing we did was unacceptable? What if we could make everyone think we were the greatest person on earth? We can...as long as we never allow anyone to really know us. There is a saying that is way over used and, as I have thought it over, completely wrong. The quote is, "Familiarity breeds comtempt." This is usually used in the context of leaders and followers, pastors and parishioners, employer and employee relationships, who are concerned about people not obeying them. I use to think this was true. Now I realize that familiarity doesn't breed contempt; familiarity breeds reality. In other words, when you or I get to know someone on more than a professional level, we learn who a person really is. So, developing a familiarity with those who lead us actually gives us the opportunity to truly decide if the person is worth following. I think that's why some people have such a problem with my ability to lay it all on the line. I don't keep many secrets. Why should I? I have nothing to hide. And if you don't like me or want to follow my lead once you truly know me, well, more power to you. When I really know me, I don't want to follow myself half the time. But for those who know me best, you know that I am always working on getting better. I think that's true about most people. Grace and peace, Johnny